Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-09-21

give the little crabs sound trouncing rot
being in the way, and then the big crabe
claw ut each other around the meat. They
act so human like that / am much amused.
crabs, sir, are divided into many families.
There is the blue-claw family, the streaked.
back family, the brown backed family and
the green-back family. You do not often
see those of the streak-b back family tribe In
Galveston waters, but many are caught
around Padre Island down the coast.
speak only of crabs to be found in the
Gulf and bay. As for other crabs, they
abound in many waters. have seen men
catch many crabs as large as an ostrich.
All! you smile, but speak in truth. On
the Japanese coast the crabs look like
huge birds running over the sand. They
come up on the sand dunes just like tur-
ties, and run away with the speed of the
wind when any one approaches them. How
they fight! Their bodies are small, but
their legs are long and tough, and if
caught they catch you with their legs like
a grappling-iron They have vicious little
green eyes, and they look at you like q
serpent. When off the Japanese coast one
time we all put to shore and made a great
chase after the big crabs. The only way
we could catch 'em was to break their legs
by sweeping them with big stick or cut
iuNS, anu tNcn b1t1 Jucy u SHOW nK0B.
Il have long studied the habits of crabs
in Galveston waters, and know 'em well.
They know me, too, for sometimes make
pets of my crabs. You no believe datp
Come; l show you." z
Leading the reporter to the stern of the
boat the Drowned fisherman lifted q cloth
from the stern and revealed q small tank
in which several crabs were swimming
around. The tank had holes bored through
the bottom, letting in q constant supply Of
fresh water.
snow you watch what do" said Fish
erman Brown.
He took small stick and boat a tattoo
upon the stern of the boat, the while ad-
dressing the crabs as though they were
human beings and giving each a name.
Come up, my beauties, there is a gentle
man come TO see you," he said, which was
followed by such exclamations as: "Dont
be afraid. The pots not ready, yet, nei.
ther is the purchaser" After each ex-
clamation of this character he would re-
sume his tattoo vigorously. Whether it
was from the effect of his adjuration or
from desire of their own is not known,
but the crabs were not long in needing his
invitation, and began to rise to the sur
face and paddle across from side to side.
Now" said Fisherman Brown, ''you see
me make a crab mind" Taking up an or.
dinary fishing-line with sinker attached.
he suspended it over the back of
the crabs and said: ''Sink, nv
hearty, sink" The crab had
been padding lazily about, but as soon as
the voice was heard it Immediately sank
and sent up a number of bubbles. This
seemed to please Fisherman Brown to a
surprising degree, as he drew in sthe line
and chuckled to himself. Presently he
picked up two pieces of lines one polished
smooth on one side, aud said that was for
calling the crabs to dinner. "They know
the difference i'll the tattoo and the stone
sound" said Brown, land they come up
quickly when they hear the stones, just
like chickens when called" First taking
a handful of shrimp cut into minute pieces.
Brown began to pound tho stones together
very vigorously. The stones made harsh
and grating kind of noise, but they caused
a great change to take place in the tank.
Where a moment before all had been
quiet, there was now great commotion.
The crabs came up in body and snapped
and clawed viciously at each other In
their endeavors to get a good position.
They would attempt to climb up tho sides
of the tank, but would fall back exhausted
each time, owing to the planks being too
slippery. Laughing quietly, Fisherman
Brown then threw the handful of shrimp
to his queer pets, and then it was q scene
of evolutions and revolutions In the water
Each crab made grab for a piece of
shrimp, and a general melee ensued. There
was not quite enough to go around,
and pitched battle took place in conse-.
quence among the hardshell pets. 1t was
strange thing to look beneath the water
and see two or more crabs hacking away
at each other for the possession of piece
of shrimp. They would clinch and rise to
the surface, but never let go until the
shrimp was demolished or one had gained
the victory. 1t would certainly seem that
Fisherman Brown had the crabs pretty
well trained, but how he managed to do
this with crabs will remain a mystery.
"Ah! the crab is noble animal" said
Fisherman Brown, with sigh, as he read
justed the cloth on the stern of the boat;
"and people ought not to be e-uel to them,
for they are not like people? 'Tis true
they eat dead people when they get a
chance, but do not the people eat them
also? Yes, sir. The crab is much abused
animal, but they have their days when q
ship is wrecked. That is the time when
they have rich feast beneath the ocean
with the rulers of the water"
After saying this Brown relapsed into
deep meditation, watching the water slide
away as the sun sank to rest below a fiery
horizon. And in this mood the reporter
left him-and his queer crabs.